A Song of Truth
by Latin Girl Writter
Summary: How much of her children does a mother know? Sometimes, music might reveal what it seems hidden…  One-Shot


How much of her children does a mother know? Sometimes, music might reveal what it seems hidden…

Disclaimer: Not old enough to own…and I don't know if this idea has been done with a song, though. I just like the idea of the Pevensies back on England and the contrast they might create.

Read and review, but most of all, enjoy.

A Song of Truth

"Do your children play any instruments, Helen?"

She looked at the elder lady, once more wondering why she had agreed to such a thing. Every six months the ladies of the neighborhood got together to drink tea and chat having their children around to presume their talents.

All in all, it was a good thing, a little lift of spirits after the damage the war had done. Yet, she hated it all.

"Edmund played the piano…it was a long time ago though." She answered truthfully, sipping her tea.

She regarded from the corner of her eye at her four children….her four no longer children. Peter sat, laughing merrily with Lucy. Edmund was at one side talking with one of the oldest boys, while Susan chatted with the girls her age. They all had changed so much, so fast…it scared her at times.

"Why, such a grand talent!" the woman said, her little button nose high in the air. "Maybe he should play something for us." She said, to what the other ladies nodded along.

"Oh!" Helen stated, looking at Edmund. What could he possibly be talking with that boy, a college boy who would graduate from law in a couple of months, she had no idea. "I don't think that's such a great idea…John was teaching him before…" she trailed off, remembering her husband, who was still somewhere in France.

"Oh…well, maybe it'll help him…you know, remembering some of it. I'm sure it will do him some good. My Fernand has a great talent…such a shame his serving, I'm sure he would have been delighted to share." Another of the ladies said. She said nothing, just nodded along and called her thirteen year old.

It wasn't long before Edmund was by her side, looking pleasant and amiable, yet stood confidentially, as if he held the last word in everything. It unnerved her.

"Edmund, dear, would you like to play for us something?" the woman asked, pointing to the piano in the room.

She watched how Edmund paled a bit, his smile never faltering though, as he glanced at the instrument. "Play, you say?" he asked.

"Yes, I hear your father taught you some things. I do say that every young man should have a talent…even if it is quite poor."

"You haven't played in a long time, Ed." Peter spoke.

Helen raised a brow at her other two children. She didn't know how, but somehow, Peter always knew when something was happening to his siblings. It was as if he had become a parent to them to some level…a deeper level than herself.

"Oh, Edmund!" Lucy cried, a shine of happiness going through her. "Please, do play! I miss it so much!" Helen raised both eyebrows. Lucy was barely four or five when Edmund and John played. It was quite impossible for her to remember such a thing. Yet, Lucy always spoke beyond her years with the imagination of a child younger than her.

"I…" Edmund halted, looking at his siblings, even Susan who had stopped talking at all and regarded her siblings. He nodded, looking at Peter for a few seconds before moving to the piano. It was much to everyone's surprise when Peter sat at his left side, Lucy stood before Peter and then Susan, much to everyone's biggest surprise, rose from her seat and stood behind Edmund, placing her hand gently over his right shoulder.

It was as if a spell was driven throughout the room, every whisper stopped, every eye was over the four by the piano. Yet, when Edmund started playing the first notes, every breath was taken away.

For a second or two, only the piano's music was heard by Edmund, before Peter, much to Helen's surprise, started playing along, following Edmund's tune. She was mesmerized by its beauty, until another sound was heard, a soft sweet voice. Lucy's voice.

"Hundred years of slavery,

Our faith in Aslan stood,

We waited for the four,

Whose reign we now behold."

Everyone was silent; everyone sat or stood regarding them with an air of reverence. The music flowed, and they waited for Lucy to continue, yet, it was Susan who continued, making them gasp at the sudden change from the soft music to a harsh beating sound coming from the piano.

"We mourn our lost,

Her cruelty was much,

To Aslan we cried,

On such a dark time."

Then, Susan stopped, giving way to Lucy, just as the music started changing again, to a much brighter tune.

"The Lion's roar was then heard,

The four came with their peaceful reign,

Freedom we yearned,

Freedom we earned,

Freedom was called for every creature and beast."

Not missing a bit, just as Lucy was finishing Susan started, her eyes closed her smile wide.

"Victory, behold our victory!

Nyads and Nimphs,

Foxes and bears,

From heaven and earth,

Behold the four 're at their throne at Cair Paravel!"

Their faces shone, it was as if the story was real, as if it had really happened.

"The Magnificent One,

Whose sword fell with might,

Has given himself for our land.

His bright locks shine the Clear Northern Sky,

He'll reign with might, his kindness most above."

Helen could only stare at Peter. It was as if they talked about him; Lucy smiled at him as she finished her stance.

"The Valiant One, who fights every war,

Heals our wounds, shines our path.

Her cheerfulness Glistening the Eastern Sea,

Her love and passion reign above all."

Lucy. It was all Helen could think, this spoke of Lucy, though a shudder went down her spine. Lucy couldn't fight…she was but a little girl.

"The Gentle One,

Whose beauty beyond seas goes,

Her words and touch heals our souls,

Just like the Radiant Southern Sun.

We yearn her smile ere more her touch,

Her reign with gentleness we pray it lasts."

Susan. She was beautiful, but her words sometimes were poisonous, used to be at least. Yet, when she smiled, it was as if everything would be fine.

"The Just One,

Whose wisdom an' kindness we crave,

Brought from the depths of darkness itself,

Redeemed of his past, wise as none,

Like the Great Western Wood his mercy upholds,

His justness itself claims his name."

Helen could only glance at Edmund. He had had the greatest change of the four. Had he truly been brought from the depths of darkness? Then, as one, Susan and Lucy sang, the music going faster.

"Oh, Aslan, blest be ye,

Oh, Aslan, blest be them!

Their lives they've given,

Our land they've blest,

Their rule we serve,

Might the Lion bless the four,

Whose presence freedom brought.

May their reign be with us, might the Lion so allow."

Susan and Lucy fell silent, tears running through Lucy's cheeks…pain cursing through Susan's eyes. Softly, Peter played the last notes, leaving only Edmund, playing softly, until it came to an end.

For the following minute no one dared to move or talk. Edmund leaned a bit against Peter on their seat, for the first time since their return from the country, Helen had seen tiredness in him. She looked at them, it was as if the song had told part of whom they were…yet, she couldn't understand.

It was until Peter gave a short chuckle that the spell was broken, Lucy snorted slightly and started laughing, more tears falling from her cheeks. Susan raised an eyebrow, and then gave in, her laughter taking away the pain her eyes gave, and then, Edmund laughed as well. Everyone around looked at them, a few of them smiling.

"Well, I must say, Helen, that was beautiful!" one of the ladies claimed, as whispers were heard once more.

"I didn't knew your sons, both of them, could play so well!" another complimented, "And those voices! It's like they've been playing and singing for years!"

"Oh, and that song! Where on earth did you learn such a thing?" another lady asked, turning to look at her four children, who were still by the piano. It was then that Helen saw it. Pain…memories, happiness, but above all, pain cursing through their eyes.

"Somewhere near the Professor's home." Edmund answered a smile on his face.

Helen saw it in their eyes. He was lying…yet telling the truth at the same time. She didn't understand. In that moment, she didn't regard her children as children, but as young adults.

"Well, I must say, Helen, you've got yourself four musicians!" another lady interrupted, making her sight change directions.

"Thank you." Helen answered with a smile. She knew John had never played something such as that. She knew Edmund was the most talented of them all, but the boy hadn't even been near a piano since their father's departure.

Late that night, she awoke at the sound of giggles. It wasn't the first time she awoke to know her children were up.

Rising, she quietly stood and walked down the hall towards Peter's room, where they usually were found.

"-he would drive me crazy! I really don't know how King Lune did it!" Lucy's voice was heard. _King Lune?_ She always did the same, crawled out of bed to hear their talks. She never understood…just like the song, it confused her.

"They were young. Though they seemed to be young men, they were but in their late teens." Edmund's voice came, making her raise a brow. "I think some can say the same about us. I remember a certain Queen dashing through the halls of the Cair."

"Oh! What about a certain King, whose crown was lost in the library." Lucy spoke.

"Touché." Edmund muttered, making his siblings laugh a bit. "Oreous certainly made me regret that, though."

"I still don't understand how you could do such a thing, Edmund." Susan's voice was heard. "Mr. Giles and I looked for it, Mrs. Beaver ordered for everyone on a search…even the squirrels and mice helped."

"I just misplaced it." Edmund defended.

"At least no one was chocked by it!" Peter spoke next. "Unlike certain queen who tried to sew and cook at the same time."

"Well, certain High King shouldn't have been stealing pies from the kitchen, and had he had better manners, he would have had discovered the thimble."

"Well, you certainly can't have manners while eating a stolen pie." Peter replied back, mockery and amusement in his voice.

"Listen to him, Su, he should know." Edmund replied with a chuckle, making Lucy giggle.

"Hey!" Peter exclaimed, loud enough to be overheard a bit, but low enough for no one beyond the hall to listen. "That must certainly can't be just. A king should be able to eat out of his own kitchen."

"Ed, please?" Susan replied calmly, "What does the law say about such things?"

"Let's see?" Ed said, pondering a bit, making Lucy giggle a bit more. "I believe it says that the Magnificence should be for all eyes to behold, the Gentleness should abide to her areas, the Valiant should continue believing, and the Justness to help stop all thefts."

"You are of no help." Peter muttered.

"Or fun." Susan said, with a shake of her head.

"That is my _wise_ advise, and I recall, 'wisdom an' kindness we crave', since he is 'wise as none'." Helen raised an eyebrow, getting more interested in the conversation now. She knew some of those lines to be part of the song they had sung earlier that day.

"Humbleness is not in your vocabulary, is it dear brother?" she heard Peter said, amusement evident, and despite how harsh the words were, they were filled with love…and pride.

"Of course, especially when to my subjects it comes, My King." Edmund chuckled. At that, everyone fell silent. Helen breathing slowed, trying to know if they would continue talking or if she continued prying. She knew that what she was doing was beyond wrong. She had taught her own children better, yet, they always talked about this things when they were along…usually in the middle of the night. How could this be? They talked as if they had lived another life…of another world.

"I hope they're fine." Lucy's soft voice then was heard.

"I'm sure they are." Peter said reassuringly.

"Mrs. Beaver once told me," Susan began, "that we brought happiness beyond imagination to Narnia. She said, if I recall correctly, that after Aslan, we were Narnia's soul." Susan stated.

"We are not." Edmund said. "Everything we ever did was for Narnia. Narnia's soul and life is Aslan himself. We, his servants, are just his body."

Helen stood for a moment, thinking about her son's words. She knew she would never understand them.

"When the fauns wrote that song-" Susan began, "-and song it on our fifth anniversary as Kings and Queens, I couldn't stop thinking that they were being too generous to us. Of course, you and Peter were just getting over the effects of battle."

"Don't remind me," Lucy began, "had it not been for my cordial, Peter would have had a terrible limp."

"Did I ever thank you, My Queen?" Peter's voice was heard.

"For that occasion, or for the others as well?" Lucy asked playfully.

Another banter started, this time between Peter and Lucy, and all Helen could do was frown. Peter? In battle? Every time he heard news from the war, she could see him frown, and though he fought from time to time with his peers, he seemed to think he was above them.

She shook her head, before heading quietly back to her room. And as she lay, she heard giggles once more.

"The Magnificent One..." she heard Lucy's soft melody in her mind, "He'll reign with might, his kindness most above."

"The Valiant One," she then heard Susan's voice, "Her love and passion reign above all."

"The Gentle One…Her reign with gentleness we pray it lasts." She turned, sleep engulfing her rapidly, yet she heard Susan's voice once more. "The Just One…His justness itself claims his name."

Sighing softly, sleep started claiming her, not before she heard her daughters voices once more, "Might the Lion bless the four, May their reign be with us, might the Lion so allow."

And just as consciousness was lost in her…she could hear faintly a lion's roar.


End file.
